Republican AG Announces RICO Charges on 61 Leftists After Violent Insurrection
Republican Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr has indicted dozens of people on racketeering charges over years of riots and protests in opposition to the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, which is under construction.
“Cop City,” as the facility has been called by left-wing activists, has been targeted since it was announced by organized protesters.
In an indictment that was announced on Tuesday, Carr called those who have been targeting the facility “militant anarchists,” the Associated Press reported.
The indictment, which is dated Aug. 29, uses Georgia’s anti-racketeering or RICO law and targets 61 people.
This is the same statute Fulton County prosecutor Fani Willis has used to charge former President Donald Trump and 18 other people for questionable alleged crimes related to the challenging of the state’s 2020 election results.
Carr’s indictment could be viewed as a sign the state’s Republican Party is fighting fire with fire.
The AG has accused all of the defendants of conspiring to obstruct the construction of the police and fire training center, accusing them of violence, intimidation and destruction of property.
In July, a police cruiser near the facility was targeted by an arsonist.
Other fires were set in March when the facility was targeted by masked protestors but the effort to prevent it from being completed started in 2021.
Carr cited the instances of violence and intimidation as his rationale for going after the individuals he said were behind it.
Defendants include more than three dozen people who have previously been charged with domestic terrorism and other acts in connection to the violent protests and riots at or near the training center.
Three leaders of the movement against it are also accused of money laundering.
The RICO charges could result in those who have already been charged facing heavy sentences if they are convicted.
Carr signaled earlier this year on social media he was willing to use the full power of the law to keep order in the state.
He shared a Fox News report about some of the “Cop City” rioting and commented, “We are not Oregon. We are not California. We are not Washington. You cannot come to our state, break our laws, throw rocks at buildings, damage property, and shoot police officers.”
He concluded, “You can and you will be charged, and that’s exactly what we’re doing.”
We are not Oregon. We are not California. We are not Washington.
You cannot come to our state, break our laws, throw rocks at buildings, damage property, and shoot police officers.
You can and you will be charged, and that’s exactly what we’re doing. https://t.co/nYMJEYo4vV
— GA AG Chris Carr (@Georgia_AG) January 24, 2023
Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp issued a statement to the AP in support of indicting the alleged rioters.
“My top priority is and always will be keeping Georgians safe, especially against out-of-state radicals that threaten the safety of our citizens and law enforcement,” Kemp said.
The group behind the violence, the Cop City Vote coalition, said in its own statement that Carr was violating the civil rights of protestors.
“Chris Carr may try to use his prosecutors and power to build his gubernatorial campaign and silence free speech, but his threats will not silence our commitment to standing up for our future, our community, and our city,” the group said.
CORRECTION, Sept. 7, 2023: Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp issued a statement in support of indicting the alleged rioters. An earlier version of this article included a different description of his statement.
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